First Look: New Cocktails at Wo Hing General Store, San Francisco

John Codd, who you might recognize from his time behind the bar at San Francisco's 15 Romolo, took over the bar manager position at Valencia Street's Wo Hing General Store a few months ago, and recently rolled out a new menu of cocktails for winter.

As Codd compiled the cocktail list, he said he "was just having fun with all the ingredients." He crowns a Martinez variation with a pillow of bitter and bright Campari foam, and created an aromatic wintry version of a Pimm's Cup by using incorporating fresh apple juice, brandy, rye, and maple.

John Codd at Wo Hing General Store

When you look at a hot-drinks menu, you might expect mulled wine, but Codd's version is flavored with apricot and blood orange. His spiked cocoa has orgeat, cayenne, tequila, and Combier marshmallows. But it's the Rum N' Oats that really surprises: this rich Pampero rum toddy, flavored with Carpano Antica, mole bitters, and cinnamon syrup, uses steamed Ninkasi Oatis Oatmeal Stout instead of hot water. "It intensifies the flavor of everything, since it's warm," says Codd. "It's like drinking warm chocolate oatmeal. People see warm beer on the menu and they're like, 'what's that?' I just say, 'it's delicious."

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Maggie Hoffman is the Managing Editor of Serious Eats. While she has specialized since 2009 on beer, wine, and cocktail coverage, these days she's just as likely to work on stories about crazy-delicious food wherever you are.

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